More on Burlington and Wegmans
Posted by Jeffrey R. Parenti, P.E. on December 15, 2011
I want to continue on this topic because clearly there is an interest here. The question of whether Billerica can attract development that contributes to our quality of life (that is, stores, services, and restaurants that we can patronize) is an important question that should often be asked of town leadership.
Before I go any further, let me do a better job of defining the problem. Here is a list of the establishments that have opened and closed since I moved here 5 years ago:
Closed Places
- Lincoln Liquors (1)
- Coffee Emporium
- Friendly’s (2)
- D’Angelo’s
New Places
- Towne Fair Tire (3)
- Dollar Tree
- Liberty Bell roast beef
- 7 Nana restaurant
- Planet Fitness
And that’s it, folks! Not much new activity to speak of in the town of 40,000+ people. Worse, almost every time we added something, we lost something else. We are extremely fortunate to have 7 Nana, which has great food and is a lot of fun. (Too bad I can’t afford to eat there more than a few times a year.) We should have a dozen others like it. I’m sure I left out some items on both lists — please add to them.
[Notes:
(1) To be fair, Lincoln Liquors simply moved to Treble Cove Plaza, so we didn't really lose it. But it does leave the town center without a liquor store. This is like Los Angelis not having an NFL franchise. Yes, you can get beer and wine at Jim's Quick Stop in Convenient Plaza. Right next to the live bait.
(2) A "for lease" has sprouted up on the former Friendly's front yard. I suppose the real estate listing reads something like, "Small restaurant property with prime view of Mount Rosa and a 30-second drive to an eroding big-box drug store; 50,000 vehicles per day past site and zero foot traffic." Any takers??
(3) This actually shouldn't be on the list, because it opened just before I got here. Also, it replaced a Burger King, I believe, so whether or not this is a step up is open for debate.]
In the comments to the original post, Rick says:
we are likely to become that pond around which all the expensive real estate is built. In keeping with that scenario, I can already see the surrounding towns standing on the piers and boat docks plucking away our best and largest fish one at a time.
This is a great analogy, and we should use it again. And he is right; it’s not just Burlington. Chelmsford just got a a new Stop & Shop. Wilmington’s recession-busting building boom on Route 38 has been well-documented and was more than once referred to by Billerica BOS candidates. Tewksbury has successfully instituted mixed-use zoning and several leaders there have been quoted about positive economic development. And that’s just our direct abutters.
They are beating us. Badly. Does this bother us at all? Do we have any pride?
InterestedReader says:
I clicked on the link and it showed Burlington’s medium family income as $104k. Also, the daytime population of Burlington triples with people who work in all of the nearby high-tech companies with high paying jobs. So yes, I think demographics probably had a lot to do with it.
The census distinguishes between family and household incomes. I listed the household median, but the difference is negligible. Anyway, Mr. Reader is making my point for me. Good development begets good development. Remember our former Town Manager, Bill Williams, was run out of town for publicly saying Billerica needed more curb appeal. We should have lined up behind him because he was right. Instead we shook our finger because our feelings were hurt. The Selectmen and Town Meeting (of which I am a part) has done nothing to improve quality of life since completing the library, and that was over 10 years ago. These sort of improvements are among the things that businesses (like Wegmans) are looking for when scouting a place to land. Not only does a nice town help attract future employees, is demonstrates that the town cares about its businesses.
We say we are “business friendly.” Every town does. But here all it means is, “we will give you tax breaks.”
Mike says:
Touche on your last point, Jeff. It’s far easier to complain than to step up and act.
Yes, and we have a lot of work to. Other towns have already done this work, some of them a decade or more ago. That’s whay they are ahead. Meanwhile, with our three old Market Baskets squatting in their aging, overgrown strip malls, we are the town that time forgot. We need to do a ton of work just to stay even with competing towns.
In the coming weeks, I will outline what sort of work needs to be done and how interested people can help.
Mike L said
I went to Office Max last night. There is a big “Store Closing” sign above it. The manager says they are closing Jan 12. Funny how a Staples opens in WIlmington, a town half the size of Billerica and two years later, our store closes.
Speaking of closing, also in Town Plaza, Fashion Bug is closing as well. To be fair, Bobs and Burlington Coat Factory are strong competitors. Why can Burlington support dozens of clothing stores but Billerica can only keep two in business? That’s an easy answer: people from other towns shop in Burlington; no one comes to Billerica to buy clothes. Very few come here for dinner, entertainment (Macs II excluded), or just to spend the afternoon for shopping or recreation.
It really does all come back to your points about lack of curb appeal, the need for sidewalks to go with the curbs, and I think a lack of pride on the part of some owners of the retail storefronts and homes along 3A. It’s going to take more people like you, coming from other towns, to change attitudes. To quote Jack Nicholson (The Joker) in Batman: THIS TOWN NEEDS AN ENEMA!
Jeffrey R. Parenti, P.E. said
Ugly. Just ugly. Two more closings. And I saw Towne Plaza (despite its yucky strip mall form) to be one of the healthier retail areas in town.
Anonymous said
After reading your site, I have concluded that your city reminds me of a novel, written many years ago by Dashiell Hammeit.
The novel was about a fictional city named Personville, but it was better known as
Poisonville. This city was described as “ an unattractive company town, owned by
[the main character’s father], Elihu, but controlled by several competing gangs.” Sound somewhat familiar?
If your city expects to come out of its wilderness, it will have to do more than seek out a Moses. Remember, he never reached “the promised land.”
--Rick said
Good comparison!
Janet said
Is there a link between Fashion Bug and Office Max? I was wondering if the rent went up or it is renewal time. Another cute shop that closed was next to the Children’s Orchard in the O’Connors Plaza. I miss that store for special gifts.
One place that has done very well is Middlesex Animal Hospital on 3A. They are relatively new to Billerica and I am so happy they are here.
Mike L said
Well there is sort of a link. First, they are located in the same plaza. Secondly, Office Max is closing two years after a competitor, Staples, opens a store at the new shopping center in Wilmington. As for Fashion Bug, there is a sign on the storefront that says after the closing, to continue shopping at the bigger and better WIlmington store, located across the street from Staples.
So the link is that they both closed because more people (including Billerica residents) are going to WIlmington instead.
Janet said
Hi Mike,
I have family that live in Lynn & Wakefield and I use to go the back roads from 129 to 38 to get there. Now I totally avoid that area. IMHO it is now too busy and congested in a not good way.
When I want to shop for big items I go to Nashua or even Chelmsford 110.
.
I think Burlington Coat Factory is a gem that our own residents don’t know about. They use to have a terrible return policy and the store was always leaking but that is all changed
It would be neat to see how many residents are heading over to Wilmington. I have stood outside the Kmart Market Basket in the past shaking hands with potential voters and many many of them were not from Billerica
I guess the grass is always greener on the other side
-Janet
Mike L said
Hello Janet,
I agree Burlington Coat Factory is a hidden gem. They are a step up from Kohls and Marshalls. We almost lost them. When RD Management wanted to tear down the mall and rebuild with Home Depot, someone in the town government said they did not like the idea of three BIG stores (Home Depot, Kmart, and Burlington Coat Factory) in one location and told them to get rid of Burlington Coat. RD agreed and they were told they had to leave.
That attitude is the reason why we are stuck with a 1970′s strip mall with Dollar Tree, soon Big Lots, and lots of vacant space in between. I hope Kmart sticks around, as it’s the only place in town to buy many items.
Remember Back to the Future Part 2, when Marty goes back to the present. His town is all run down with litter, shuttered storefronts, etc, except for one place, Biff’s Casino, which is booming with people. Well I can see Billerica becoming exactly like that with one store being the main attaction and very profitiable ………….. O’Conner’s Hardware!!!!
Janet said
Another new place is the indoor mini golf behind Chris’s ice cream. Not sure how they are doing. Having a new restaraunt in the Cove would really help business.
There use to be a pet store in the Treble Cove Mall next to DeMoulas but they closed as did the boot/leather store which I think was called White Cloud.
The flower shop also closed which was in that mall.
Maybe mall rent is a big factor.
Mike L said
Hello again Janet,
I doubt rent was the big factor. it’s really just the customer base. The pet store and the country store and the flower shop cannot survive on just Billerica residents. If that strip mall had something or several things that would get people from Chelmsford, Tewksbury, and Lowell to go there every week, they would get the foot traffic that would likely keep them going. My opinion.
Jeffrey R. Parenti, P.E. said
Janet,
I forgot about the indoor golf place. It’s so far off the street, it’s easy to overlook. I have not been there yet. Is it good? I also wonder how long the bowling alley will last. Never been there, either, but I want to teach my kids candlepin before all the alleys disappear.
JRP
Janet said
Hi Jeff,
The Golf place is fun and he is hoping to expand with more activities outside last I heard. It does not have a big draw because of the location but worth a trip. Another new company is Pet Edge – a great catalog company that moved from Woburn to Rt 129. If you own a pet it is a fun store to shop in! They do have a store in the front of the building. Prices are really low!!
The bowling alley will be there forever
they have a tradition and members that keep it going. They offer parties and we have had some for the kids in the past which are fun!
To MJ: I think that we all need to work in developing Billerica’s future – the Selectmen and Manager are only 6 people in a town of 40K. The job of the Selectman is not a full time position nor is it a paid position ($3k is not a salary).
It would be nice to see residents working with town officials to help research companies that would be beneficial to Billerica. Maybe residents know or have relatives that own companies that might be drawn to Billerica if asked. It would be good to have a web site where residents could fill out a prospective company suggestion form online. Also, we have an Economic Development Coordinator, her name is Stephanie Cronin. I never hear her name mentioned when talking about the future of Billerica – shouldn’t we ask her how things are going?
The Selectmen have many issues to focus on from keeping additional prisoners out of our already maxed jail to issuing licenses. Let’s find a way that we can constructively participate in helping with the growth of Billerica.
-Janet
Jeffrey R. Parenti, P.E. said
Janet,
Thanks for the tip on the golf place. Sounds like a good winter activity place. I bet we could support a big indoor sports complex. Danvers has one, and I think there is one in East Acton. A place where you can play indoor soccer, flag football, wiffleball, lacrosse, etc. A group like Boston Ski and Sports Club, which is always looking for venues, would use it. I also forgot about Pet Edge, probably because mine may be the only house in town without a dog or cat. Where is that place?
I have had the pleasure of meeting with Stephanie Cronin. She is great — we are lucky to have her. But her position is part-time. Maybe one of the first things we can do is push the Town Manager to make her position full time. She has been working hard to attract companies like E-Ink, but maybe we should direct her to look at the retail sector as well. I think it would be great to meet with her and ask these questions — maybe she has been talking to the retail sector and she’s having trouble convincing stores to site here. That would be important for us to know.
Excellent point about the BOS, by the way. They work through their meeting agenda once a week, and they just don’t have time to think about the “big picture,” which we talk about a lot here. That’s where I think an organization like Keystone (http://groups.google.com/group/keystone-billerica) comes in. We can collect ideas from citizens, see which ones people feel the strongest about, and then bring those to the appropriate people in government.
JRP
MJ said
“They are beating us. Badly. Does this bother us at all? Do we have any pride?”
Jeff, your point is well taken…we need leaders, selectmen and a manager who are so bothered by this slump that they insist on doing something….sadly, i see no concern, hear no voices for progress…s
Mike L said
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/28/us-sears-sales-idUSTRE7BQ0AV20111228
My New Year’s prediction: K-Mart closes in Billerica.
If I were K Mart corporate and looking to close something in this area, do I close the newly rennovated K Mart in Tewksbury? The busy Sears at the Burlington Mall? or the well worn K-Mart at the mall that is never busy and usually just local residents shopping for things not worth going out of town for?
I hope it does not happen but if it does, it is in part due to lack of foot traffic because it is not a destination shopping area. Either a Home Depot or a mixed use development would have fixed that but the town said no to both.
Janet said
Hi, I am still very pleased that the Town of Billerica did not place a Home Depot in the center of its town. That is not the place a HD should be.
I did see this on the http://www.nmcog.org/billerica.htm site – and I wish we could view an updated one:
LAND USE CLASSIFICATION (Mass. GIS 1991)
Billerica Land Use Acreage (acres) Percentage of Total
Residential 6,664.89 39.6
Commercial 397 2.4
Industrial 992.9 5.9
Agriculture 542.81 3.2
Open Space/ Recreation 7,223.34 42.9
Transportation/ Mining/ Waste 673.07 4.0
Water 340.19 2.0
Total Acreage 16,834.22 100
Residential is 39%, Commercial is 2.4% and Industrial is 5.9% Open Space is 42.9% – I found this very interesting. We have to attract smart growth to Billerica. If we rely heavily on big box stores when they fall, we fall.
only time will tell.
I too think that this Kmart will close
I am very happy to see all the activity happening in the Billerica Mall. I am keeping my fingers crossed!
Z Hecht (@ZHecht) said
Don’t forget Blockbuster on your list of closures. Say what you will about them, but the selection was better than Redbox. There was also the loss of Naked Fish, although its replacement, Pedros, is an improvement to me.